I wondered about the mining operations in Jerome.. but the only tracks I recall seeing were the cart tracks in the mines...But we were headed west at the time chasing the AZ & CA RR to it's crossing of the River at Parker, then up 60 miles of wild dirt roads to Cadiz CA where the RR JCT with the Santa Fe Trans Con Line...and the dirt road joins Old Hiway 66. What a great wilderness rail-chase !! The AZ & CA is a classy short line that runs from the Cadiz Jct. across desert area of CA and AZ to Phoenix.Here are a couple of shots of the AZ & CA

mayor alFrankEither on your trip West, or the return East, Please take the time to do at least a walk thru, of "La Posada' The Winslow, AZ Harvey House. Just a few minutes off I-40 and you won't regret it I promise. See the link above that Foodbeme posted...

They may be going South to PHX. In that case, a stop in Sedona is in order.

Thank you for all of the great ideas. From Williams be will be heading to Colorado Springs, CO. Our son is stationed at Fort Carson, so we will be heading there to visit with him, our daughter-in-law and granddaughters.

We have something else in common.. my son and his family are leaving Ft Benning on a PCS to Ft Carson next Monday. He just finished his MS degree, and is looking forward to returning to duty with the troops.Be sure to check out the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge line on your way to Colorado Springs... You don't have to take the time to ride it..the hiway is a grat ride and you can see both ends and tour both towns.. then cross Colorado on U S 50 and see the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River on the way...

1) The minute I heard about this I 'solved the case': the engineer was playing with his cell phone. That hasn't been determined yet, but just wait.

2) Metroliner service connecting WAS, BALT, PHIL, NYC, NH, BOS is fantastic. Living in in NoVa, it truly was 'the only way' to go to the City: walk into any Metro Station in DC and four hours later you pop up in Penn Station. Nearly 100 million people are served by that line, why can't it be privately run? Why is it in the pitiful hands of a Keystone Cops-like entity that is the only organization in the world that loses money on a captive food service?!

4) Going from Dallas to Chicago? Driving the 1,000 miles takes 13 hours; flying, less than two; taking Amtrak: 22 hours and $245 each way while being captive to the world-famous Amtrak food 'service'. Even a bus is faster and the food is far better.

5) In the 21st. Century passenger rail will exist where passenger rail makes sense. Why not let the market determine that instead of forcing us who like rail to have a 'Post Office' experience whilst demanding $Billions from the taxpayer to provide it?

Well, according to the reports I have read and seen( just minutes ago) the cell phone theory is pretty much out. He turned in his phone and took drug tests. While I am not saying the engineer is not at fault somehow, he took his job pretty seriously.

ann peeplesWell, according to the reports I have read and seen( just minutes ago) the cell phone theory is pretty much out. He turned in his phone and took drug tests. While I am not saying the engineer is not at fault somehow, he took his job pretty seriously.

Yes, just after I posted the above I heard that his cell phone was 'stowed' as per 'regulations'.

That said, I recently adopted a new policy of letting ambulatory cell phone zombies collide with me; i.e., I no longer step out of their way as I would a blind person with a cane. What fun!

I'm thinking about extending that policy to ungoverned children who aimlessly meander into my path whilst 'baby momma' has her face buried in a phone. That'll make shopping at Wal-Mart a pleasure rather than a chore.

If the "Rock thru the Windshield" Theory holds up, could be the Engineer got knocked out and fell on the controls causing the train to speed up. It's possible.We hear all the time about vandals throwing stuff off highway overpasses trying to hit cars.

We took the 3 night Vancouver to Toronto train a few years ago. This is a wonderful train tour through Canada. It hits the lakes region, Plains region and the Canadian Rockies. Each day is a different view out the window. The reason I'm bringing it up is, the US dollar is strong against the Canadian Dollar. This means you would get a 32 or 33 percent discount with the exchange rate. If you are a Senior you will get another discount. All meals are included in the trip. If you book this trip make sure you use a credit card that has no foreign transactions fees...........I would take this trip again in a heartbeat. I am thinking of taking the reverse trip in the near futures going from Toronto to Vancouver.............

pnwchefWe took the 3 night Vancouver to Toronto train a few years ago. This is a wonderful train tour through Canada. It hits the lakes region, Plains region and the Canadian Rockies. Each day is a different view out the window. The reason I'm bringing it up is, the US dollar is strong against the Canadian Dollar. This means you would get a 32 or 33 percent discount with the exchange rate. If you are a Senior you will get another discount. All meals are included in the trip. If you book this trip make sure you use a credit card that has no foreign transactions fees...........I would take this trip again in a heartbeat. I am thinking of taking the reverse trip in the near futures going from Toronto to Vancouver.............

Wow! The Canadian looks like the modern-day equivalent of the AT&SF Super Chief! I thought those days were long gone in the Americas. I'd far rather do that than some 3-day cruise. You got me thinking. Thanks!

You'd think Vegas multi-billionaires like Adelson and Wynn would build the thing themselves.

Given the relatively short distance between Vegas and LA it would be a lot quicker way to get back and forth than monkeying around with McCarran and LAX. And, they could put the Vegas Terminal right at their casino's doorsteps.

mar52But they never use their own money. OPM is the game in Las Vegas.

From the last "debate" evidently that was true in Atlantic City as well.

When I lived in McLean, VA a buddy of mine and I made day trips to AC every few months. My all-time favorite way to go was the AC Express that originated at DC's Union Station with brief stops in Charm City, 30th. St. Station, and Cherry Hill. It was quick and cheap - not all that much more expensive than the tolls for driving ... and it gave one the chance to sober-up enough to make the short drive home from Union Station relatively safe!

Like my many jaunts to AC, "day-trippers" from Greater LA would make the proposed line a big winner!

I saw this on a PBS or Travel Channel Show called Globe Trekker.This would be a great ride:http://www.maharajas-express-india.com/Thought these comments were interesting:Bed and Bath LinenIn order to maintain hygiene, guests are requested to be cooperative with the staff and let them change bed and bath linens every day.(Who wouldn't cooperate???)Hot WaterFor hot running water, switch on the geysers 20 minutes before the usage.(The water comes from the engine boiler????)ButlersEach guest carriage on board the train has been appointed with a personal butler to entertain the guests 24 x 7.(David Letterman has a new job???)Maharajas TransportTransportation comes complimentary for off train excursions at each destination. Whereas the guests in Deluxe Cabins and Junior suites are accommodated in deluxe coaches for sightseeing, the guests in Suites and Presidential suites are provided with cars. All the vehicles have complimentary kits which include candies, shoe uppers, tissues, bottle coolers and other things.(So glad they have Shoe Uppers???)

This Summer the best deal on a comfortable ride to Europe was on an Emirates AB-380, JFK to Milan. From there we would go by train to Rome on one of 40 trains that make this trip daily.

I hadn't been on an inter-city train in European for 40 years, what a treat! Milan is 360 direct miles from Rome, 430 by rail. The trip took slightly less than 3 hours with the train routinely hitting 185 mph between the few quick stops. What truly amazed me was the roadbed. reinforced concrete ties, and welded rails which made the trip quiet and vibration-free.

The same track and train would make a trip from Washington Union to Penn Station 95 minutes, including brief stops in Charm City, Philly, and Newark. The present Acela Metroliner is 3 hours.

Coincidently, San Francisco and L.A. are the same 'crow flight' and rail route distant as Milan is from Rome. But, the high speed rail in Cali will be a big loser until it connects center city to center city. I'm "all for it" so long as I don't have to pay for its construction.

And, speaking of paying ... our RT tickets were only $46 each!

This trip we also took the Eurostar from Gare du Nord - St. Pancras. It went so fast I hardly noticed the 'Chunnel'. The trip from London to Scotland for the British Open and sightseeing was also most enjoyable. The trip from Edinburgh to London was 57 minutes late die to a breakdown on a train ahead of us. Virgin Rail refunded our tickets!

MetroplexJimThis Summer the best deal on a comfortable ride to Europe was on an Emirates AB-380, JFK to Milan. From there we would go by train to Rome on one of 40 trains that make this trip daily.

I hadn't been on an inter-city train in European for 40 years, what a treat! Milan is 360 direct miles from Rome, 430 by rail. The trip took slightly less than 3 hours with the train routinely hitting 185 mph between the few quick stops. What truly amazed me was the roadbed. reinforced concrete ties, and welded rails which made the trip quiet and vibration-free.

The same track and train would make a trip from Washington Union to Penn Station 95 minutes, including brief stops in Charm City, Philly, and Newark. The present Acela Metroliner is 3 hours.

Coincidently, San Francisco and L.A. are the same 'crow flight' and rail route distant as Milan is from Rome. But, the high speed rail in Cali will be a big loser until it connects center city to center city. I'm "all for it" so long as I don't have to pay for its construction.

And, speaking of paying ... our RT tickets were only $46 each!

This trip we also took the Eurostar from Gare du Nord - St. Pancras. It went so fast I hardly noticed the 'Chunnel'. The trip from London to Scotland for the British Open and sightseeing was also most enjoyable. The trip from Edinburgh to London was 57 minutes late die to a breakdown on a train ahead of us. Virgin Rail refunded our tickets!Viva Italia!!

Even though my wife is very familiar with the Galleria and The Corso, the only reason I visited Milan was the Emirates flight. Was I ever wrong! What a beautiful, civilized, laid-back city. I had no idea that it was larger than Rome.

My intro to all this was arriving at Milano Centrale, which "out-Grands Grand Central". My wife became annoyed with my wanting to explore the place dragging our baggage. Only old Pennsylvania Station would come close to this overwhelming structure. Demolishing that was the architectural crime of the 20th. Century.

Check this beautiful PBS documentary:

Edit: Great quote at the end of the film by Vin Scully: "Where once we entered as Kings, we now emerge like rats."